Groveling Fools
by rwbyfics
Summary: You've gone soft on me, Roman." Neo shook her head resentfully before crossing her arms. "What's that supposed to mean, sweet cheeks?" Roman was standing now, his cigar pressed between two long fingers. His lips were pressed together in displeasure, but Neo only drew closer, bristling at the challenge. "Oh, like you don't know." "Enlighten me."


The shattered remnants of Neo's Semblance disappeared behind the shutting hatch door of the Bullhead. Those four Huntresses were long gone, but pesky as they were, she would admit they had put up an impressive fight. She shut her parasol neatly, running an absent hand along the pastel trim.

She hummed softly to herself, the purr of the Air Ship's engines comforting her into a relaxed lull. Roman slouched against a plush couch in the caverns of the Air Ship, his bowler tipped across his brow at a jaunty angle. He sat forward, legs spread languidly, and an expensive cigar and lighter splayed across his lap.

Neo hooked her parasol over the crook of her arm and strode to her partner, snatching the lighter from him.

"You always manage to get into the worst kind of trouble, don't you, Roman?" She laughed lightly, tossing the lighter from hand to hand before casting it into the air, a graceful hand curling gently as the small contraption left her palm.

In a flash of swift limbs and a twirl, just for show, her parasol bloomed into a saccharine cloud of heady perfume and glimmering Chantilly. The lighter caught on the very tip of it, balancing for a few long milliseconds before gravity took its place. The lighter tumbled down the curved structure of the outside of the parasol, plunging down, but before it could hit ground, Neo tipped her weapon upside down and caught the hunk of curved steel.

She grinned brightly at Roman, who smirked at her, eyes bright with lazy amusement.

"It's a blessing and a curse." He spread his gloved hands, holding out his cigar to be lit. Neo obliged, tilting the parasol upside down and catching the lighter in her waiting hand. "Stop showing off, will ya?"

Neo lit Roman's cigar and tossed the lighter back to him before pacing the gently thrumming floors of the Air Ship, smirking at his teasing remark.

"I can't help it. It's the first time in weeks I've been involved in something remotely interesting, and it's all because of that _woman_." She glanced at Roman, who puffed on the cigar with distant eyes.

"I hate being kept on a leash. '_Don't draw attention, don't start fights, control your temper._' Who is she to tell me what to do?"

Roman spoke calmly, trying to diffuse the sudden energy in the air. Long gone was Neo's bright demeanor, and he could sense it, the sudden shift in Aura, and the embers of her Semblance being stoked.

"Cinder's running a tight show, what can I say? We've just gotta follow some orders, and we'll be rewarded, big time."

Neo's eyes darkened, and she grit her teeth together. "Are you suggesting that I am a _pet_? Because I am not, and neither are you." The words were practically growled through clenched teeth, and she narrowed her eyes at the man across from her.

"When will this whole thing end?"

Roman arched an eyebrow at the woman, and he gazed at her kaleidoscopic eyes before looking away, almost shamefully.

"I don't know if it ever will, Neo."

Neo gave a sudden bark of laughter. It was sharp and screeching, as attractive as metal squealing against metal, but Roman remained stoic.

"You've gone soft on me, Roman." Neo shook her head resentfully before crossing her arms.

"What's that supposed to mean, sweet cheeks?" Roman was standing now, his cigar pressed between two long fingers. His lips were pressed together in displeasure, but Neo only drew closer, bristling at the challenge.

"Oh, like you don't know."

"Enlighten me."

Neo scoffed in disbelief.

"Let's put it this way, Roman. If we were in this for the _money_, like it _used_ to be, we'd be long gone by now." She paused to wet her lips with her tongue and relished the way Roman trembled with fury. "And not to mention, Cinder's got you on hands and knees, practically _whipped_."

Roman colored slightly and Neo stepped forward, gaining more ground as his footing slipped.

"You think I don't see how infatuated you are with her? She's got you wrapped so tight around her finger, you could be a part of her DNA."

Neo jabbed her index finger into his chest, digging her manicured nail into the fabric of his shirt. The sudden sign of aggression disappeared into smoke and mirrors as Neo slumped, her shoulders sagging as her voice caught on delicate words.

"You're not that kid that I met years ago. When we were living on the streets, eating scraps, looting purses. You've changed."

She shook her head again, lip curling in disdain.

"I'm still that kid, Neo, you know that." Roman argued, spreading his arms in exasperation.

Neo sneered cruelly, teeth pulling back into a menacing leer.

"The kid skin gloves tell me otherwise." She pinched one of Torchwick's ebony gloves between her thumb and forefinger, gesturing sardonically to the fine leather that stretched across his long fingers.

She whipped around at the sound of the Air Ship's landing gear being activated. The Bullhead slowly lowered to the docks at Cinder's base, and the engine powered off with the signature chime through the intercoms. Neo gathered her parasol under her arms and stalked to the exit.

Roman followed, and he reached out to touch her arm, turn her around so he could explain himself. He had gone through his whole life lying and cheating, but the only person he couldn't fool was Neo.

"Neo, c'mon – " Roman started, and just as his hand made contact with the feeling of her jacket, the tip of Neo's parasol was at his throat, and his hands were up.

Neo had her teeth bared, sharp polished teeth gleaming in the dim lighting. The parasol was digging into Roman's Adam's apple; she was not treating him gently anymore.

She frowned at him and laughed aloud once more, a sharp, creaking cackle, and shoved him away with her weapon.

"Go run to your master, _dog_. I have no need for groveling fools."

She sneered and walked away from the Air Ship, leaving Roman by himself with a half-smoked cigar clutched like a pacifier between his fingers.


End file.
